Knight in Shining Apron
by 3laxx
Summary: This is a gift for the ML Secret Santa Exchange 2k19! In a coffee shop au, Nino falls in love with the adorable barista. He visits the shop everyday if he can, but one day, he has to act, instead of daydream.


**Happy holidays, Tbehartoo!**  
**I'm your secret santa!**  
**I hope you'll like the DJWifi OneShot and that it's a coffee shop au ,:D**  
**Again, happy holidays, have a great time at the end of this decade and I hope you'll have a great new years 2020!**

* * *

He wasn't addicted to coffee. No matter how much Marinette and Adrien tried convincing him that he was, because his financial situation slowly began suffering under it, he wasn't addicted to coffee.

After all, he didn't visit the coffee shop because of this.

Or, at least, not because of only the coffee. Admittedly, this drink, or better, the caffeine in that drink, had sometimes saved his day.

But no, his prime reason why he was visiting the coffee shop was to see the sweet Barista who always gave him the wonderful smile and the extra bit whipped cream.

He sighed if he only thought about her, even if he should be concentrating on his lecture. Though, he couldn't stop remembering her. He couldn't stop propping his head up in his hand and sighing dreamily while the musical theory professor went on and on about harmonies up front.

Nino leant back in the narrow seating rows, lifting his arms behind his head. It was the last week before Christmas and he knew he should pay attention not to fail his exams after the Christmas break but he couldn't help it.

She was beautiful.

Her hazel-green eyes lit up everytime he saw her and her beautiful tanned skin seemed like molten chocolate when he thanked her and she smiled at him. He couldn't bear how beautiful she was.

When she spoke, her voice was like honey, rich and wonderful and so sweet that his heart actually skipped a beat and when she smirked smugly at him when he blushed, he couldn't help but being infatuated by her again and again.

She was an angel to him, a wonderful young goddess on earth and he totally had a crush on her. Secretly, but he did.

With another sigh he played with his pen and thought about her beautiful hair that shone like gold to him. Which shampoo did she use, he wondered?

And did she dye her hair somehow? Did she go to the barber for that or did she do it herself if she did?

For some reason he didn't think she did. For some reason he was sure that her hair was all natural, despite the brightly glowing orange tips. He was sure she was all natural. He hair just didn't look dyed, because he knew what dyed hair looked like. Or well, he claimed he knew, since he had a model as a friend and was pretty sure Adrien had told him about the dangers of dying hair because it'd break or something.

With a slight grin he let the testosterone take over and let his imaginary gaze wander down, to her chest, admittedly, but mostly her soft looking stomach and her wide hips when he stepped close enough to the counter to see enough of her. He didn't do that often at all but sometimes, he couldn't help it. When he was waiting for her to finish his coffee and there was no other costumer, he stepped closer to the counter to seemingly look at the cake display.

He knew that she knew, though, that he was checking her out with shy glances and hidden blushes and even if he did his best not to let this happen too often, he couldn't help finding her attractive and well, he couldn't help being a boy either.

At least he didn't stare. Or, well, he did stare, admittedly, and he couldn't stop.

But he knew for a fact that she did the same! Adrien had been there once with him and even that naïve, soft bean of a friend claimed that the Barista was checking him out.

Honestly, it filled Nino with pride to be checked out.

It meant she was attracted to him, too, right?

He'd visit her again this afternoon, he promised. A coffee couldn't hurt, he thought, and he'd find 2€ somewhere, he was sure. Even if he'd have to beg for Adrien to lend him that again.

But he had to see her again. He had to see her so badly that he immediately sprinted out of the lecture when his professor was done talking and ran out counting his money on the go. The coffee shop was only five minutes away and he was eager to talk to her again.

Maybe he'd even have the courage to ask her out today. Maybe.

With a cheer he found his last money and directed his steps directly to the coffee shop, glad that he wouldn't have to beg Adrien for money again. He'd just be even more in his debt as he already was and it'd just lead to more teasing from his friends' side.

He was out of breath as he arrived at the coffee shop in just three minutes instead of five, having ran over a few red lights (and risking being picked up by a car in a not so healthy way), but at least he was here, and with a glance inside he already saw her beautiful face in profile.

With clumsy movements he tried combing through his unruly short hair but he couldn't stop it from standing up in spikes in all directions.

With a groan he entered the coffee shop anyway. Either way, however he looked, she'd recognize him and that was the most important to him.

Though, the tension inside the shop was almost so thick he had the feeling he could cut it with a knife if he tried. There weren't that many customers sitting on a few tables in the easily overlooked cafe and just one guy on the counter, but somehow, something was wrong. Nino at first pretended to stomp his boots free from the snow and to adjust his jacket, to hear what was going on. Because Alya wasn't at all the cheerful girl he remembered, as of now. She seemed pissed.

Carefully, he listened to the conversation that somehow also made the other customers uneasy, and gave him a bad feeling.

"C'mon, sweetheart, just one date.", the guy tried now as Alya tried her best ignoring him, making her coffee. She was obviously fuming on the inside, "I'll even pay for you."

She shot him a forced polite glance because her work rules said so, and thanked him but still declined.

"Very nice of you.", Nino heard her voice shivering in anger, "But no, thank you."

He could see that she was this close to snapping. If they had been on the streets and she wasn't working, she'd probably already kicked his balls, but her uniform didn't allow her to. He knew she needed this job and it wasn't exactly easy to find a decent job for a student. He knew, he had tried himself, even with all the DJing gigs he already took on.

So she needed to be polite, no matter what he said.

"You're playing hard to get, I like that.", the guy gave her a toothy grin and she finally showed the first sign of real discomfort, crossing her arms and the corners of her mouth twitching.

That was it.

She wasn't feeling safe anymore and he'd have to intervene. How?

He didn't know that yet.

Her glance shifted towards him and her eyes immediately showed relief when he locked his gaze on hers, nodding slightly. She gave him a forced smile, then he knew what to do.

".. 'Afternoon, beautiful.", he greeted and seemingly comfortably hung his jacket up, as if he'd done that a thousand times already. Alya gave him a puzzled glance but he continued.

Nino passed the guy on the counter with a natural "Sup, man." and joined Alya behind the counter, pressing a kiss to her cheek while grabbing an apron.

"Who's that guy?", the man behind the counter now asked, watching Nino skeptically.

"Hi, I'm Nino. Her boyfriend.", Nino shot back, now done knotting the apron of some coworker, "And coworker. Did she already finish your order? Can I do anything else for you?"

The guy begrudgingly grabbed his coffee that Alya had just finished and snorted at him, shaking his head.

"That leek of a boy, are you serious? I could give you a thousand times more than him.", he commented and Nino thanked everything the customers had to pay beforehand.

"Oh, you mean like, a thousand times more flowers? You're welcome to help me out with that, I don't have that much money. How generous of you!", Nino glared at him as he propped his hands up on his hips and a few customers began cheering as the man glared at him and left, huffing a last time before the door slid open to let him out.

As Nino was sure the man was gone, he awkwardly turned around to Alya and undid the apron again, the furious blush heating up his face.

"S-Sorry for that. I could tell you were uncomfortable. I'll just uh-… Take this off now.", he handed her the apron and was almost past her when she turned around, holding him there. Nino tilted his head at her but she didn't even hesitate to hug him.

"… Thank you.", she brought out, shivering, "Thank you so much."

He chuckled as he hugged her back.

"Not a problem."


End file.
